Prior glycosylation procedures in which the 2-deoxy-.beta.-D-ribofuranosyl (2-deoxy-.beta.-D-erythro-pentofuranosyl) moiety is introduced into an aglycon invariably provide anomeric mixtures as well as positional isomers which result in very low yields of the desired 2'-deoxynucleoside. In view of these difficulties, a four-step deoxygenation procedure using phenoxythiocarbonylation (J.A.C.S. 1983, 105, 4059) or imidazolylthiocarbonylation (J. Org. Chem. 1982, 47, 485; Chem. Pharm. Bull. 1983, 31, 1842) of the 2'-hydroxy group of the corresponding 3',5'-protected .beta.-D-ribonucleoside has been developed to provide the requisite 2'-deoxynucleoside. What the art lacks, however, are improved procedures that do not require the availability of the preformed ribonucleoside and also are applicable in the presence of haloheterocylic derivatives, which are the most useful for further nucleophilic displacement.